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Abraham and Isaac: Reassuring Words

Can you imagine the conversation between Abraham and Isaac as he bound the boy and placed him on the altar? Surely, Isaac had been raised to know God and His plan for Abraham and Sarah’s family, so Isaac had to have some knowledge of the part he was supposed to play in it all.

“Isaac, now is the time I have to tell you what God has asked of me. You know what He promised us. You know the miracles He can perform; you are one of those miracles! I love you more than I thought I could love anyone! You are precious to me, and you are important to God’s plan for our family.

But right now, God is asking us to do something we don’t understand. I can’t understand it. I don’t know how He is going to bless us with such a family through you if I do this thing, but we trust Him. Give me your hands. Remember how I told you about your birth? Your mother was never able to have children, and was far past the age when it was even possible for women who had been fertile! And yet, here you are! Healthy, strong – my beautiful boy.

I love you so much, Isaac, and I love God. I know you love Him, too. Now we show Him that we love Him. I don’t know how He will do this, but somehow God is going to bring you back to me. Somehow, you and I will return to our servants at the bottom of the mountain and go on with our lives.

Let’s get you up on the altar. Isaac, this is a little scary, but we know, don’t we, that God keeps His promises. Trust me, and above all, trust God. We came up the mountain together, and we’ll go down the mountain together. Somehow, God will make it so. I’ve always done what He asks of me, and it’s always meant blessings on our family.

Don’t cry, son. Never mind my tears. I trust God. I know it’ll be okay. I love you. And we’ll go down the mountain together after this is over. Let’s say the prayers together, now.”

We know how it ends, which helps damped the scariness of this story, but imagine what it was like for Abraham and Isaac.

Also, we can learn a lot from Abraham about obeying God instantly. He pulled up stakes and moved his entire clan as soon as God asked it of him. And so, when God called out to him as Abraham was raising his knife to slay Isaac, Abraham instantly obeyed again, crying, “Here I am, Lord!” and waited for further instructions.